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"Here." A notebook smacks on the table in front of me, along with a pen. "You'll be in charge of my presentation notes."
I blink. Pen and paper? What're we, in the stone ages?
"Is there something wrong with that?" he asks when I remain silent.
Besides having to do my brother's bitch work, oh nothing.
"Uhh, yeah. What about a laptop?"
His smirk tells me it's intentional. "You can type them up later."
Asshole.
"Why the long face, Hayden?" He snorts. "Worried your little lady friend will think differently of you? Come on now. I doubt it'll make her forget your last name. Besides, no one would blink twice seeing an assistant taking notes."
I wet my lips. "Right."
"Wait..." A smile grows along his lips, sparking annoyance inside me. "No—no, don't tell me."
I roll my eyes, anticipating his next words.
"She doesn't know you're my assistant?" He sucks in a breath, trying to stifle a laugh, only for it to come bursting out. "Oh, man, this is going to be fun, but... what is it she thinks you do here...?"
That I'm under Dad's wing, I don't say.
"No, wait." He holds out a hand before I sell him some nonsense. "Don't tell me. I don't want to know. That'll make it even better."
I exhale sharply, mumbling a string of curses.
Elias checks his watch again. "Two minutes."
My knuckles thrum along the table as I search for her through the solid glass surrounding the meeting room. Cubicles dominate the floor's massive space, with employees shuffling about. Some walk past the rows of chairs along the farside wall, occupied by the hopeful game devs, mostly men. But no Juliana.
Sweat pricks at my temple. She wouldn't miss this, would she? All she does is work on that game.
As time wanes on, doubt creeps in, and I wonder if I'll return home to her things all packed up. Maybe she came to her senses and decided I'm not worth the hassle, that she's better off moving back to that shoebox she calls an apartmen—
My heart constricts.
Carrying a laptop, a woman in a plaid skirt swings around a blind corner. A matching blazer drapes off her shoulders, cutting off at the waistline over a dark blouse. Her block heels eat up the carpet in confident strides, swaying her slicked-back ponytail. She's one hundred and ten percent corporate, with an academia edge—and turning the heads of every man in the room, some blissfully unaware she's their competition.
"There she is," I breathe.
Elias traces the line of my gaze, squinting at the end. "Hold on... isn't that Jeremy Brooks's sister?"
"Yep," I say, cringing at how proud I sound.
He watches her approach, shock marking his features. "What the hell's a girl like that doing messing around with you?"
My jaw slackens. Wow. Okay, then. Obviously, I'm not at all surprised he recognized her, but... I didn't expect his reaction to be that brutal.
"No offense," he adds.
"Gee, none taken." Irritation flares inside me as his head tilts, still focused on her.
"Is it just me, or does she seem pissed at you?"
Fuck, why is he always so perceptive? For a guy who never leaves his office, he sure can read people.
